Eagles: Knott remembers Griffin as force to be reckoned with

New York Jets tight end Chris Pantale, bottom, dives in for a first down as Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Jake Knott defends during the second half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

PHILADELPHIA — The last time Jake Knott saw Robert Griffin III lining up on the other side of the ball from him was 2011. Knott, a linebacker for Iowa State, remembered two things about that game — one, Griffin’s ridiculous athleticism. The other?

“We lost,” Knott said matter of factly Tuesday. “I remember it, but I try to forget those as much as possible. You could have 30 tackles in the game — in this case, I had 18 — but it goes down as a loss either way. I’ve learned from the losses.”

An undrafted rookie who made the Eagles’ 53-man roster, Knott isn’t taking it upon himself to impart any Griffin-related wisdom upon the Eagles’ coaching staff this week, in advance of the team’s Week 1 meeting with the wunderkind quarterback and his Washington Redskins. But Knott said he’s able to reflect upon that college meeting with Griffin, during his Heisman Trophy-winning season at Baylor, and recall a few things about the star quarterback.

“The one thing that I remember is RGIII’s skill set,” Knott said. “He can spread you out and throw it all over the place. At the same time, like any great quarterback, if you can get pressure on him, you might be able to take away his throwing. You’re never going to take away both facets of his game, but if you can get at him and take away his passing game, it helps your cause.

Advertisement

“I remember that’s what we did in college.”

When healthy ­— as Knott remembers him and as the Redskins this summer have assured, to anyone who will listen that he is — Griffin is an absolute menace.

In his rookie season, he passed for 3,200 yards and rushed for 815 more for the NFC East champion Redskins. To put those numbers into perspective, Randall Cunningham (3,466 passing, 942 rushing with the 1990 Eagles) is the only other player in NFL history to have posted numbers equal to or greater than Griffin’s in a single season.

Griffin was the recipient of the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year award for a reason: He’s a multi-faceted offensive weapon, a threat to find the open man when given time, and a threat to run long distances when flushed from the pocket.

According to Washington coach Mike Shanahan, who spoke to reporters Monday, Griffin will be the Redskins’ starting quarterback for their date with the Eagles, and he has received all the necessary clearances to return to the field.

The Redskins made Griffin an observer of preseason, holding him out of their games to preserve his health. Griffin sprained the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee in Week 14 last season, before doing further damage to it in Washington’s loss to Seattle Jan. 6 in the first round of the playoffs. He had both his LCL and ACL repaired three days after the defeat.

Still, it’s a safe bet that Washington won’t run all of the read option packages with which Griffin excelled a season ago, at least not until he escapes injury in the first few weeks of the season and proves once and for all that his knee — only eight months removed from total reconstructive surgery — is able to withstand the rigors of gameplay.

“Even without read option, with RGIII, you see an athlete that is also a quarterback who can throw it wherever he wants and go wherever he wants,” Knott said. “(The Redskins) have a great run game, and that sets up their play action with Alfred Morris. They’re going to have a couple things to come at you with besides (Griffin).”

Even a less-than-100-percent healthy Griffin, Knott said, presents unforeseen issues for a defense.

“You have to be ready to adjust on the fly, you have to control your gaps and you have to play your defense as you game-planned it,” Knott said. “Look, he’s going to be a guy we’re trying to stop, but we’re just really excited to show people what we can do.”

***

The Eagles released their depth chart before their Monday night meeting with Washington, and the team’s starting strong safety is its biggest surprise.

Fourth-year man Nate Allen appears to have gotten the nod. He and rookie Earl Wolff were embroiled in a training-camp battle for the starting job, beside free safety Patrick Chung. Wolff is listed as Allen’s backup at the spot.

Elsewhere in the depth chart, DeSean Jackson is listed as the primary punt returner. Eagles coach Chip Kelly said last week that Jackson, despite not fielding any punts in preseason games, would be his go-to guy in that situation. Keeping him off preseason punt-return duty, Kelly said, was a way to protect Jackson from premature injury.

And assuming he’s healthy enough, James Casey is down as the Eagles’ second starting tight end, alongside veteran Brent Celek. Casey, who hauled in only two passes in preseason, left the Eagles’ final exhibition game with a hamstring injury.